


Under the Mistletoe

by Stargatewars



Series: A Schitt Year [50]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas, M/M, Mistletoe, Traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:55:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21916348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stargatewars/pseuds/Stargatewars
Summary: David hangs mistletoe in the store. He doesn't get the reaction he was expecting from Patrick.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: A Schitt Year [50]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1253942
Comments: 16
Kudos: 289





	Under the Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for participating in OFN 2.0! We hope you had an amazing time during this event! You have helped to make it an incredible success and much bigger than we could have ever hoped for!

David looked at his handiwork with a deep sense of satisfaction. The sprig of mistletoe hung neatly from the door frame behind the counter. He had carefully climbed the step ladder to install it while Patrick was out getting lunch.

David had never had anyone to kiss under mistletoe before. It had always been a cliche in romcoms that he rolled his eyes at but secretly loved and was entirely jealous of.

But now there was Patrick. Patrick, who loved Christmas and loved David. Patrick who would kiss him under the mistletoe.

As David stared up at the mistletoe he could already see it. Could see them meeting in the doorway like they did a dozen times a day, but they would pause, look up at the mistletoe and with a nervous smile lean in and kiss.

Yes it was a movie cliche but even in his fantasy there was the music and the camera zooming out as the credits rolled. But really who could blame David for wanting to finally tick something off his romcom dream list.

The bell above the door chimed. David turned to see Patrick return from the cafe, their lunch in hand.

'Hi,' Patrick said with a smile. David beamed, excitement strumming under his skin.

Patrick started walking around the counter but stopped. Frozen in place. His gaze trained just above David’s head.

When David had hung the mistletoe he'd imagined Patrick laughing at him, rolling his eyes at David perhaps. One of Patrick's many fond looks passing across his face. The looks he seemed to reserve only for David.

Instead his eyes creased unhappily and his jaw clenched. David thought he heard Patrick grunt slightly at the sight of it.

'I'll meet you in the back in a minute,' Patrick said, handing the food to David while remaining outside the reach of the mistletoes, like it was a snake ready to strike.

'Ok,' David said, taking the food and heading into the backroom. He had not expected that reaction from Patrick. He’d imagined every other possible outcome, but not that one.

Once David sat down and opened their lunches Patrick came in and took a seat. He leaned over and kissed David gently on the lips.

They were silent at the start as they ate but then Patrick started talking about a new vendor, a shipment of hand creams being delivered, and their upcoming trip to see his parents. Talking about anything but the piece of mistletoe hanging from the doorframe.

***

It took most of the day but finally David managed to catch Patrick under the mistletoe. Patrick looked above their heads at the small green leaves looming over them.

Instead of the sweet kiss filled with love or the passion filled make out session that left them weak and heaving for breath that David had fantasised, Patrick simply leaned forward and kissed David briefly on the lips. The tiniest press of lips and by the time David registered the feeling they were gone and Patrick was already moving away.

David watched as Patrick began to unpack the soy candles, turning them so they lined up neatly.

Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe David was overreacting. But as the day wore on and Patrick spent more and more time avoiding the mistletoe, especially when David was nearby, he started to suspect more was going on.

When Patrick literally leaned away from the mistletoe as he walked under it David knew for sure there was an issue.

‘Do you… do you not like the mistletoe?’ David asked finally. Patrick froze, clearly thinking he had been better at hiding his disdain than he had.

‘Oh. No. It’s fine,’ Patrick turned away, not wanting to look at David.

‘Then come and kiss me under it,’ David said, moving to stand in the doorway. He was annoyed that Patrick had not played into his romcom fantasy. He knew he shouldn’t let something like this bother him but it had. All he wanted was to kiss his fiance. Patrick, who was normally so willing to go along with David’s whims and desires, generally finding David’s antics charming, was suddenly hesitant.

Patrick moved towards David but stopped two steps away.

‘I… I can’t,’ Patrick said, looking sullen, his eyes clouding with an emotion that David couldn’t read.

‘Why?’ David couldn’t understand. This was meant to be a stupid and fun Christmas tradition but Patrick was acting like it was torture.

‘I just… it’s a dumb tradition. Forcing people to kiss… I hate it and don’t want to do it,’ Patrick said defensively, taking another step back. Moving further away from the mistletoe, further away from David.

David felt stunned. Patrick was telling David that he didn’t want to kiss him. It hurt. David glanced up at the mistletoe and instantly felt ridiculous for even putting it up in the first place.

‘I have to go get some papers signed. You ok on your own?’ Patrick asked, his voice soft, yet sounding desperate to leave.

‘Yeah. Yeah that’s fine,’ David said, running his fingers across the keys of the cash register.

Patrick stepped around David and grabbed his folder from the backroom.

David wasn’t sure but it felt like they were fighting. Like he had done something wrong. When Patrick returned to the main floor he kissed David on the cheek, promising to be back soon.

As soon as he was out of sight David pulled the mistletoe down. Embarrassed and disappointed he buried it under some papers in the bin. He wanted to forget he ever attempted this stupid Christmas tradition.

When Patrick returned his eyes moved to the space where the failed mistletoe attempt has sat but he didn't say anything about it's sudden disappearance.

The remainder of the day was quiet. Patrick still touched David like he always did, a soft graze across his back as he stepped around David, gentle hands on his hips if he needed David to move. But there was a tension underlying each interaction. The mistletoe had caused something to shift between them, and David was terrified of what that might have been. David funnelled his nervous energy into spinning his engagement rings around his fingers. Patrick could always tell that David was anxious when he did that, playing with his rings. He knew Patrick had seen him do it but he just couldn’t stop. Patrick didn’t say anything about that either. They let the silence between them grow heavy and uncomfortable.

Patrick eventually excused himself to finish some paperwork in the back. The store was quiet, so he remained there for the rest of the day. David felt like he was being avoided. That Patrick didn’t even want to be in the same room as him. He started to hate himself for hanging the mistletoe even more.

When the day was finally over, they tidied and closed the register in relative silence. Patrick kept his eyes downcast, avoiding David’s gaze as he filed the last of the receipts away.

‘I’ve got to pick some things up from the motel,’ David said, standing nervously at the door, under where the mistletoe had been, ‘meet you at the apartment in an hour? If you want me there,’ David suddenly had a fear that after the day they had Patrick would want to be alone.

‘Of course David. I… I always want you there,’ Patrick said, standing from behind the desk. Since they had gotten engaged, David spent almost every night at the apartment. Becoming less Patrick’s place and more their own.

They separated out the front of the store with a kiss, Patrick bundled up in his jacket, beanie pulled tight around his ears.

Patrick smiled softly at David, the smile not meeting his eyes. Then they parted.

David took his time getting ready, not ready to face Patrick yet. He didn’t know what the night would bring, whether Patrick would be mad, or hurt, or disappointed. David knew they needed to talk, but he dreaded what that might mean.

***

David walked into Patricks apartment, pulling off his coat with a shiver. Part of him had thought about knocking instead of using the key, but it had been so cold outside David quickly changed his mind and entered.

The apartment was dark, except for the lamp beside the bed and the fire casting light across the room from the fireplace. On any other night it would have looked romantic. That night, it looked anything but. Patrick sat at the end of the bed staring down at his hands. He didn’t acknowledge David, so deep in thought he didn’t seem to realise David was there at all.

David walked closer, 'Patrick?' he said softly.

As he got within a few steps he saw that Patrick was twirling a piece of mistletoe between his fingers. The piece of mistletoe. David would recognise it anywhere. He'd spent an hour picking out the perfect piece.

But that meant Patrick had dug it out of the trash at the store and bought it home with him. Confusion washed over David, trying to understand why Patrick, who had seemed to hate the mistletoe, would hold it so carefully in his hand. David didn’t have to wait long before Patrick told him.

'Rachel and I kissed for the first time under mistletoe,' Patrick said, his voice soft, 'my first ever kiss.'

He looked up at David, his eyes hooded and filled with sadness.

'Oh,' David said. When he'd hung the mistletoe he hadn't really thought about Patrick's history with the tradition. Patrick not wanting to kiss under it suddenly made a lot more sense. David hadn’t kissed anyone under mistletoe, but maybe that was better than Christmases filled with kisses you didn’t want. Kisses that made you feel empty and reminded you something was wrong.

David moved to sit beside Patrick, not yet touching him. Giving him the space he needed to keep talking.

‘Every year Mom would hang it in the doorway to the kitchen and I would always get pushed under there to kiss Rachel. People acted like it was the most romantic thing in the world. But I just felt trapped, felt like I was performing,’ Patrick turned and looked at David, ‘I don’t want to feel like that with you. I want to kiss you whenever, wherever. Not because of some plant.’

‘Patrick,’ David ran his hand along Patrick’s back, ‘you do kiss me whenever and wherever. That’s not going to change. We don't have to do the mistletoe thing. I just… I just thought it might be fun,' David reached for the mistletoe, but Patrick pulled it away from him.

‘Have you been kissed under mistletoe before?’ Patrick asked, striking at exactly David’s plan like he could read his mind.

‘No… but that doesn’t matter. Not anymore. I promise,’ David offered Patrick a smile.

‘Did you know that I calculated perfectly when I could break up with Rachel after the holidays? Twice,’ Patrick said.

David shook his head, Patrick had never told him that before.

‘Twice during Christmas I knew we were going to break up. But I also knew I couldn’t break up with her over the holidays. That wasn’t fair. So I’d kiss her under the mistletoe, knowing that in a few weeks I'd be breaking her heart again,’ Patrick spun the stem of the mistletoe between his fingers.

‘So when is the perfect date to break up with someone? After the holidays?’ David asked, he couldn’t help himself.

‘Between January 24th and 28th,’ Patrick said without hesitation, ‘far enough out that it isn’t really the holidays anymore. Not so far out that you are going to ruin Easter. It’s not exactly four or five weeks from Christmas so they can’t say that either.’

Something about the image of Patrick sitting down to work out exactly when to break up with Rachel was somehow both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

‘I’m sorry. I know you wanted this,’ Patrick said, ‘maybe I… maybe I can try later?’

David smiled, kissing Patrick’s temple, ‘we don’t ever have to do it. It’s ok. I’m glad you told me thought.’

Yes David was disappointed that he wouldn’t get to live out this particular fantasy, but he was more than willing to give it up to ensure that Patrick was comfortable. Their relationship didn’t need kisses under the mistletoe, when they had kisses and so much more everywhere else.

***

They arrived at the Brewer’s late on Christmas Eve. They had decided that closing the store early was worth it to spend the holidays with Marcy and Clint.

When they arrived they quickly put their bags upstairs before heading into the living room.

‘Let me get you some tea,’ Marcy said, smiling happily. David knew how badly she wanted to see her son. How much they missed Patrick. He could hardly blame them. A day away from Patrick and his heart started to ache.

‘I’ll give you a hand Mom,’ Patrick stood. David joined, mainly because he knew Marcy had been baking cookies all day.

‘Mind the mistletoe,’ Clint called after them with a laugh. Patrick froze in place, his eyes shifting to the doorframe. David reached out and squeezed his hand.

'Oh, we aren't doing that,' David said, glancing between the mistletoe in the doorway between the Brewer’s kitchen and dining room and Marcy’s smiling face.

'Oh… ok,' she said, thankfully not questioning it. Most likely assuming it was a weird belief of David's. If it saved Patrick feeling uncomfortable he'd let them think it was him stopping them doing it.

'David, you don't--' Patrick started to say quietly, but David shook his head and walked towards Marcy, changing the subject to her world famous cookie baking abilities.

Later that night as they lay in bed Patrick kissed David’s shoulder, ‘I’m sorry about the mistletoe thing. I should have told Mom not to put it up this year.’

Ever since Patrick had told his parents he was gay they had worked hard to rebuild their relationship, which was now stronger than ever before. But David knew why Patrick hadn’t wanted to tell them about the mistletoe. Clint and Marcy’s only concern about finding out their son was gay was that they felt responsible that he hadn’t been comfortable coming out sooner. If they knew how their pushing him under the mistletoe to kiss Rachel had affected Patrick they would feel terrible. For all of their sakes David understood why it was better left unsaid.

‘I don’t mind if I can’t kiss you under the mistletoe,’ David said, rolling on top of Patrick, ‘because I can kiss you any other time I want,’ David made his point by leaning down and kissing Patrick firmly.

‘I love you David,’ Patrick breathed against David’s lips, running his hands up David’s back.

‘I love you,’ David replied, leaning in and kissing Patrick again.

When David could kiss Patrick like that, so freely and full of love, missing out on a kiss under the mistletoe didn’t seem all that significant.

***

By lunchtime the house was bursting with Brewer’s. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, everyone.

David had attempted to memorise all their names before he came but was feeling entirely lost. Despite not being able to remember half their names, David had never felt so welcomed in all his life.

There had been a few other comments about the mistletoe, and David watched other members of the family kiss under it as they passed from the kitchen to the dining room. He tried to suppress his own disappointment each time, squeezing Patrick’s thigh each time he felt Patrick tense up as one cousin or another kissed their partner.

David could only hope that as the day went on Patrick would relax and forget about the mistletoe incident and enjoy Christmas with his family.

***

David stood in the doorway, looking down at his phone and the message from Alexis complaining about his parents gift giving abilities again.

He looked up and saw Patrick standing across the room, staring intently at him, ignoring the two cousins trying to talk to him.

David smiled softly at Patrick and went to take a step towards him. Instead Patrick walked towards him. Charged towards him would be more accurate.

In the time it took David to furrow his brow in confusion, Patrick was across the room, his lips crashing against David's. Patrick's hands coming to rest of David's neck.

David let out a small squeak in surprise, his hands automatically coming to rest on Patrick's elbows, holding him firmly in place. The surprise faded quickly. David kissing Patrick back in earnest.

Some part of David's brain registered that Patrick's family were right there and this kiss was decidedly not family friendly but as Patrick's tongue brushed against his, he found it hard to care.

He let out a small moan as Patrick pulled away. A couple of the cousins whooped and made comments but it all disappeared as Patrick smiled at him, eyes dark with desire.

'What was that for?' David asked, still holding Patrick's arms.

'Tradition,' Patrick replied, his voice husky as he glanced above David’s head.

David didn't understand but followed Patrick's eyes. Above them was the mistletoe.

'Patrick! You…' David started but Patrick was already shaking his head.

'I think it's time to start new traditions,' Patrick said, a gentle smile spreading across his face, his eyes bright.

‘Patrick you don’t have to,’ David whispered.

‘I know,’ he replied, before placing his hand gently on David’s waist and leaning forward to kiss him again. The second kiss was a much more appropriate one, considering how many Brewer’s were in the room. 

David smiled, 'you sure?' Patrick simply nodded and pulled David into a hug. David felt Patrick kiss his neck as they wrapped their arms around each other.

Happiness rolled over him. He had finally gotten the kiss under the mistletoe he had so badly wanted, but more importantly, Patrick had been able to reconcile some of his past with his future. He could let go of the sadness that he held around a Christmas tradition and start to see it with kinder eyes. And for that David would always be grateful.

'When you two are done there can you help me with the dessert?' Marcy said from the kitchen. A smile on her face telling David just how happy she was.

'Dessert?' David said, his eyes lighting up, 'be right there,' he kissed Patrick quickly on the lips before turning to help Marcy, in a thinly veiled attempt to secure the best desserts for himself.

Patrick laughed as he watched his fiance and his mother hide the choice pieces of pie for themselves for later. He glanced up one more time to the mistletoe above him, this time with a smile. With his family and David by his side, Patrick knew it would be a very good Christmas.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this fic comments and/or kudos are much appreciated. I'd love to know your thoughts!  
> One week to go!


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